Controller



May 13, 1924.

1,494.057 A. J. BROWN CONTROLLER Filednec. s, 1920 gwg START/N6 i l iPatented May 13, 1924.

UNITED STATES 1,494,057 PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR J. BROWN, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO ALLIS-CHALMERSMANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OFDELAWARE.

CONTROLLER.

Application filedDecember 3j 1920. Serial No. 427,990.

To all 'whom t may concern.:

Be it known that ARTHUR J. BRowN, a citizenof the United States,residing at Milwaukee, in the county of `Milwaukee and State ofLIVisconsin, has invented a certain new and useful Improvement inControllers, of which the following` is a specification.

This invention relates `to vswitches or controllers. Itmay be applied inswitchesfof the type having an off or neutral position and two operativepositions and :particularly a first circuit-'closing position and asecond circuit-closing position. In certain relations it becomesdesirable toV prevent movement of a switch from its off position intoits second circuit closing position unless the switch has been firstmoved into its first circuit closing position. One of the objects ofthis invention is the provision of means whereby the aforementionedresult may be secured in a simple and efficient manner. Another objectof the invention is the Vprovision of means whereby this result vmay beattained in connection with ordinary double-throw knife switches withlittle or no reconstruction of the switch itself. Other objects willappearlhereinafter as the description of the inventionproceeds.

The novel features of the invention will 30 appear from thisspecification and the accompanying drawings forming part thereof anddisclosing one embodiment of said Ainvention and all these novelfeatures are intended to be pointed out inthe claims.

In the drawin s Fig. 1 is aside lelevation of a switch mec anismembodying the Ainvention, the housing 'being broken away. Fig. 2 is aplan view of the mechanism `illustrated in Fig. 1, partsthereofibeingbroken away.

The invention has been Yshown 4in the drawings as it may be applied inconnection with a knife switch 1. The switchinay have vany desirednumber of'blades 2, only two blades being illustrated in Fig. 2, therest of the switch .and housingparts Ibeing broken away. The blades2.areppivoted in a desired manner and are adaptedfto'be swung up intoengagement with the stationary conytact clips 3, (see Fig. v1) and downinto engagement with the stationary contact clips 4. In case vthe switchis `used `for starting fmotors, the upperandlower.positions of themovable fmember may bewthe starting and running positions respectivelyin accordance with the legends on the drawing. The clips 3, 4 aremounted in anysuitable manner on a base board 5, which may be in turnsupported directly on a vwall (not shown) or on an auxiliary base. Theswitch blades 2 are connected to operate in unison by means of thecross-bar 6 to which is fastened the handle 7, the latter extendingthrough an opening 8 in the cover 9 of a housing l0.

The housing 10 is here shown ascarrying a pivot pin 11 which ispreferably substantially in line with the axis of rotation of the blades2. A movable member lever 12 is adapted to swing on the pivot'pin 11 andis associated for movement with the operating means of the switch by adisengageable connection between it and the crossbar 6. Thisdisengageable connection comprises a tongue 13 at'the end of the lever12 adapted to enter a recess 14 in the cross-bar 6. The lever 12 isprovided with an extension 15 which when the lever 12, and therefor theoperating mechanism of the switch, is in off positionmakes a positiveangle with the horizontal. The extension 15 is provided with alongitudinal slot -16. An inertiamember, here shown as including a roll17, and a pin 18 adapted tomove freely in slot 16. In order that theinertia-member may be better balanced, a roll19 may be provided attheother end of the pin 18 on the other side of the extension 15.

A stop 20, herefshown as also mounted on the housing 10, is providedwith a surface 2l substantially at right angles to the path of movementof ,theroll 17 when the operat ingmeans isiinoved .from the off totherunning or second operative position, that is, towards the yclips 4.The stop 20 is also provided with a surface 22 substantially concentricwith the pivot pin 11. The surface 22 is some distance radially beyondthe center of the roll 17 when `the operating ,means-is inits oifposition.

A spring 23 is provided, one end 24 of which, .is fastened to the pin 11and the other end 25 of which is disposed on the side of the lever 12toward the vfirst 4operative position ofthe switch.

The clips 3 are `provided with terminals and connectors 26 which may beconnected to any desired device as for example, an auto transformer..heavy starting fuses or directly to the electrical supply lines, etc.The switch Vblades2 may be electrically connected by means of theterminals and connectors 27 to an electrical supply line for example,and the clips 4 may be electrically connected by means of the terminalsand connectors 2,8 either directly to a motor or other translatingdevice, or through fuses to such devices. It may be stated that as faras the novel features of the present invention are concerned theelectrical connections to the device with which the invention is usedare entirelyimmaterial.

The operation of the device disclosed is as follows:

If an operator attempts to move the lhandle 7 in a downward direction,that is, toward the clips 4 this motion will be soon arrested byengagement of the roll 17 with the surface 21 of the stop if these partsare not already in Contact, The operator may, however, move the handle 7in an upward direction and fully into engagement with the clips 3.Inasmuch as the lever 12 and extension 15 move .With the movable switch.member the extention 15v will rotate 90 degrees or an amountproportional to the yangular movement of the handle 7, in a clock-wisedirection. inasmuch as the slot 16 now makes a negative angle with thehorizontal the inertia-member 17 will roll to the radially outer end ofthe slot 16. The spring '23 hasmeanwhile been wound up by the lever 12and is preferably of such strength that very little effort will benecessary to pull the blades 2 out of 1 the clips 3. If now the operatorquickly moves the operating handle in'a downward or counter clock-wisedirection the inertiamember 17, being at a higher gravity potentiallevel when the extension 15 again assumes a positive angle, will nothave .time to roll to its position in Fig. `1 and will not have havereached the level of the surface 22 before it has passed the surface 21in a counter clock-wise direction. lt will lbe seen that by thedescribed motion the inertia-member is permitted to move out of the wayof the stop at least a sufficient time to enable it to pass said stop,provided the motion from the first circuit closing position to thesecond position'is executed with sufficient rapidity, and this is ofcourse desirable in case the switch mechanism is used for example, instarting motors. The spring 23 is designed to facilitate this rapidityof movement, but it is clear that the device would be operable withoutthis spring.

Itl should be understood that it is not vdesired that the inventionclaimed be limited to the exact details of construction sho-wn anddescribed, for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled inthe art.

It is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent: I

1. In a switch having operating means having an off and a first andsecond operative position, a. member movable with said ope-rating means,a stop, an inertia-member movable with and with respect to said movablemember to a position where it will engage said stop when said operatingmeans kis moved from off' toward said second position, saidinertia-member moving to a position with respect to said movable memberout of the way of said stop when said operating means is moved to saidfirst position whereby said operating means may be moved from said firstposition` to said p said second position, means having 1n' ertia movablewith the movable element of said switch, and having a predeterminedradius of movement when said element is moved from off' position towardsaid second position, a stop for engaging said inertia-means andpreventing movement thereof to said second position and means wherebysaid inertia-means moves to a position of larger radius when saidmovable element is moved to said first position.

3. A switch having operating means having an off and a first and secondoperative position, a member movable with said operating means saidmember having a slot making a positive angle with the horizontal whensaid operating means is in off position, a stop, an inertia-membermovable to a position in said slot where it will engage said stop whensaid operating means is moved toward said second operative position,said inertia-member being movable to a position in said slot out of theway of said stop when said operating means is moved to said firstposition, whereby said operating means may be moved from said rstposition tosaid second position.

4. A switch having a pivoted movable element disposed in a substantiallyhorizontal 0E position, a pivoted lever movable with said element, saidlever being provided with a slot making a positive angle with thehorizontal when said element is in off position, an inertia-membermovable to an inner limiting position in said slot, a stop for engagingsaid inertia-member when in said inner position, whereby when saidelement is moved upwardly said inertia-member will move to an outerposition out of the way of said stop.

5. In combination withta switch havin an olf position between a firstand second operative position, means for preventing movement of theswitch from ythe off position into said second position but permittingmovement from said lirst position into said second position comprisingmeans having inertia movable with the movable element of said switch,said means having a predetermined position when said movable element isin said off position, a stop for engaging said inertia-means if movedtoward said second position, and means whereby said inertia-means ispermitted to move bodily to a different position with respect to saidmovable element when said movable element is moved to said firstposition.

6. In combination with a switch of the type having an off and a firstand second position and having a movable contact member operable by aninsulating cross-bar, a

housing for said switch, means mounted on said housing for preventingmovement of said switch into said second position without prior movementinto said first position, and means including a disengageable connectionbetween said means and said crossbar, whereby said switch may be bodilyremoved from said housing without disassembling said switch or anyportion thereof.

7. In combination with a double throw knife switch of the type providedwith ann ond operative position, a housing for said switch, means,including a lever pivoted to said housing substantially coaxial with theaxis of rotation of said switch, for preventing movement of said switchinto said second position, and a disengageable connection between saidlever and said switch whereby said switch may be bodily removed fromsaid housing without disassembling said switch or any portion thereof.

9. In combination with a pivoted switch of the type having an off andairst and second operative position, means for preventing movement ofsaid switch into said second position without prior movement into saidirst position, and a disengageable connection between a portion of saidswitch and a portion of said means one of said portions having a tonguecooperatingwith a recess in the other said portion whereby said meansand said switch may be bodily separated without disassembling eithersaid switch or said means.

l0. In combination with a double throw switch of the type having an oitposition between a first and second position and having a movablecontact member operable by an insulated cross-bar, a housing for saidswitch, means mounted within said housing for preventing movement ofsaid switch into said second position without prior movement of saidswitch into said first position, and means including a disengageableconnection between said means and said crossbar, whereby said switch maybe bodily removed trom said housing without disassembling said switch orany portion thereof.

In testimony whereof, the signature of the inventor is aiixed hereto.

ARTHUR J. BROVN.

